Side by Side
by moxicity
Summary: Growing up, they were each other's best friends, never mind that they were brother and sister. They had always looked out for each other, going through life by each other's side. When the stresses of the 1980 Winter Olympics and life in general threaten to drive a wedge in their relationship, will they selfishly just look to each other or will they allow other people in?
1. Making Plans

Disclaimer: I don't own Miracle, the actual people who took part in that journey, nor the actors involved with the movie.

AN: I was originally supposed to have this story be part of my first Miracle fic _Hanging By A Moment,_ but I figured there was already a lot going on (and even more so in the future) with Frankie's character that having Anna come in would make the story too complicated. Now I have two stories in progress for all you Miracle lovers.

I can't promise that this will be updated as regularly as _HBAM _but I'll do my best. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

**_Late May 1979_**

"I think I'm gonna go ahead and sign with the NHL this year."

Dinner had always been a quiet affair in their household, their focus solely on the delicious meal in front of them with conversations coming in once everyone was finished with their food or while they helped clean up. But that one statement had a tense silence washing over them – the kind of silence that would easily be broken by the sound of a pin dropping.

"Honey," his mother called out softly. "It's only your second year in college. You haven't even been drafted yet. Do you really want to do that?"

He nodded once and wiped at his mouth with a napkin before continuing. "I'm putting my name in for the early draft. I had a big year and we did win the national championship. Plus, there was all that talk about being one of the best defensemen out of high school in the whole country. I feel like I have a good chance."

"And what if you don't get drafted?" his father asked, a stern expression on his face. "You're a great player, son, but your education should come first."

"If I don't get drafted, then I'll go on with school," he replied. "But if I do, I just wanted you to know that my intentions are to get signed as soon as possible."

"What even brought this on?" his mother asked, her brows furrowed in worry.

He took a deep breath as his gaze roamed around the faces of his family, each waiting on baited breath for clarity. "I figured," he started. "If I get drafted and I sign, I'd get a signing bonus. And we can use that signing bonus to send Anna to medical school. And my salary can help us all a lot."

A fork noisily dropped against a plate, the tense silence from before settling back amongst them.

"Mikey," his sister sighed. "You don't have to do that."

"Yes I do," he said evenly. "Hear me out," he said before she got out any form of protest. "I know that the only reason you planned to defer for a year was because we don't have the money yet. I have no doubt you can find a scholarship before the fall semester but then there's not much for when you need to move and the money you need to get by. Med school is tough already and I worry how stressed you're gonna be with your studies so I don't want you to have to find a job so you have money to buy food and whatever else you need. If I get signed, we'll have the money."

Their parents had to suppress the smiles threatening to tug their lips upward as they watched their children talk. Mike may have been the younger of the two but he had always looked out for his sister much in the same way that Anna had always taken care of him.

"I'm fine with deferring med school," Anna argued. "I can find a job and save up for next year. Maybe I'll even volunteer at the hospital. That'll look good for when I go apply for scholarships or even if I apply to other schools. You don't have to do this."

Seeing the defiant expressions on their children's faces, their father decided to intervene before an argument broke out. "Alright, that's enough," he said, effectively quieting the siblings down. "We still have a few months to decide about your futures. Why don't we take that time to think about it and we'll talk about it as a family when the time comes?"

* * *

Anna Ramsey walked up to her house after another day of looking for a job. With the economy in crisis, there were very few options out there for her to choose from. She knew that even before she decided to look for work after her dad had gotten laid off from his job earlier that year. While he was lucky enough to find a new place of employment within a few weeks, it paid a lower wage than his previous work, only giving him and the rest of the family enough to get by. For Anna, that meant she had to put her aspirations of medical school on hold to alleviate some of the financial stress for the family. It was an expensive field of study on its own but with her choice of schools all being out of state, that meant she needed extra money to move, find a place of her own and have enough to spend on food and utilities – extra money that her family couldn't spare.

They were fortunate enough that her brother Mike had an athletic scholarship for his entire stay at the University of Minnesota. But of course, after last night, that could mean just the past year. Anna sighed to herself when she thought back to his reason for wanting to drop out and go pro if and when he was given the chance. As much as she would have wanted for him to keep on with his studies, she couldn't fault him for thinking of her and the rest of the family. She was worried about him though. Pessimistic as it may be, she thought of the possibility of him being badly injured. Hockey was an incredibly physical sport and players getting beaten up and bloodied was considered normal. What if he got injured and could no longer play, then what?

Walking up to the driveway, Anna stopped at their mailbox and quickly fished out their mail. She rifled through each one, letting out a groan of frustration at seeing the amount of envelopes that carried their bills. But at the last one, she paused, curiously staring at the return address before quickly running into the house in search of her brother.

"Mikey!"

"I'm in the den!"

Anna dropped the rest of the mail on the table located in the hallway before making her way to the den where she found her brother lazily spread out on the couch watching TV. She launched herself at him, laughing when the breath left him in a huff when she landed on his stomach.

"Get off me," he grumbled. "That hurt!"

Instead of doing what he had practically demanded, she held up the envelope in her hand. "Here," she said. "I think you may want to read this. It's postmarked from Colorado, from the hockey association."

"I wonder if it's about the draft," he mused.

"Wouldn't it be the NHL who would be sending that?" she countered.

He made a noncommittal sound before he sat up, forcing her to move to sit beside him. He ripped open the envelope and pulled out the letter, holding it in a way that both of them could read it together.

As soon as she had finished reading the letter, Anna turned to look at her brother's face, trying to gauge his reaction. After a few moments of silence, she finally decided to speak up. "I guess we have one more thing to talk to mom and dad about."


	2. Getting There

Disclaimer: I don't own Miracle, nor do I own the dialogue from the film that can be found in this chapter.

* * *

**_June 1979_**

"Make sure you call as soon as you get there alright?"

Had she been doting on him in front of other people, Mike would have blushed deeply. But he was in front of the guys from the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers hockey team and they were already privy to how Anna was around her younger brother. There were even times when she had turned the mothering habit to a few of them, and while they all tended to whine and joke about it, they all appreciated that someone was looking out for them.

"You know you can always come with us?" Rob McClanahan offered as they waited in the parking lot of the university rink. "There's plenty of space on the bus. You don't even have to worry about clothes, either. I'm sure some of the guys would spare shirts and loan you a few bucks to buy what else you need."

"It's a tempting offer but I have to stick around to find some work," Anna said with a deep sigh.

After receiving an invitation from the American Hockey Association and talking it over with the rest of his family, Mike had decided to take his chances and try out for the 1980 Olympic hockey team. After finding out that a good number of his teammates had received the same letter and Herb Brooks officially being named the head coach, he was sold on the idea, even more so when it was pointed out to him that if he performed well, he had better chances at getting signed to go professional.

And with practically the whole current roster of Gophers invited to try out, along with a few recent graduates, the team had managed to convince the athletic department to have their regular bus driver take them to Colorado Springs. Pooling their money for the bus rental, the driver's wage and gas, it still saved them a lot of money compared to buying plane tickets or driving down on their own.

"Quit fussing over Rammer," Bill Baker interjected, pulling Anna's hands away from fixing her brother's collar. "We promise we'll take care of him and we'll make sure he calls as soon as we get there. Now please, stop fretting. You're gonna give yourself grey hair."

"I'll be fine Anna," Mike said with a reassuring smile. "I got this."

Turning a wary glance towards the three hockey players in front of her, she relented, but not before asking for another favor. "Just make sure Philly doesn't drag you anywhere. I don't need my baby brother coming back to me all corrupted."

"I heard that!" Phil Verchota called from across the parking lot.

"You were supposed to!"

* * *

"Hey Doc," he greeted as he hopped onto the examining table.

"What can I do for you, Rammer?" the physician asked in his heavily accented voice.

"It's my shoulder."

Without giving any other detail, the doctor had picked up a roll of bandages and set it beside the hockey player before lifting his hands to Mike's shoulder and skillfully digging into the muscle to give him indications as to how tightly his shoulder needed to be wrapped. After recently retiring from being the University of Minnesota's hockey team doctor, Dr. George Nagobads didn't hesitate to accept Herb Brooks' offer to be the official physician for the Olympic team, jumping at the chance to not only work alongside his longtime friend but also to have more time watching some of the boys he had grown to love like his own family. It was due to his connection to Herb and his work at the U that allowed him some familiarity with Mike's concerns about his shoulder.

"How is everything with you, Rammer?" Doc asked as he began to wrap the hockey player's upper arm.

"Everything's going alright," Mike replied politely. "Anna told me to tell you hi."

The doctor smiled wistfully at the mention of the older Ramsey, having several fond memories of the girl like he had with her brother. "And how is she doing?"

"She's okay," he began. "She's taking a year off before going to med school. She's looking for a job now so she has something to do until she has to go back. She says she might even try to apply for other schools too."

Doc nodded in understanding, vaguely aware of the situation their family was in. Anna was a bright girl, and he only wished the best for her. "There you go," he said, tapping a hand on Mike's wrapped shoulder. "I would tell you to take it easy but I know you won't. So I'll just say do your best and good luck."

"Thanks Doc."

As he jotted down notes on the condition of Mike's shoulder for Herb to look over, the physician had a thought pop into his head. He mentally reminded himself that he needed to run it by the head coach as soon as possible, hoping that he would approve. But before he could do that, he needed to deal with a handful of other players who were waiting for their turn to have any of their concerns looked over.

* * *

"Hughes, Ross, Auge, Delich, Horsch, Strobel, Christoff, Morrow, Suter, Ramsey, Janaszak, Christian, Pavelich, Verchota, Baker, Harrington, Schneider, O'Callahan, McClanahan, Silk, Johnson, Craig, Cox, Eruzione, and that's the roster for now. The rest of you, thanks for coming out."

Mike sat in tense anticipation as Craig Patrick started calling out the names of players, relief washing over his face as soon as he heard his name called. But confusion still wracked his mind at realizing that they had made the first cut, leaving a roster of 26 players out of the invited 80, after just the first day. When the cut players started filing out, he allowed himself to let out a sigh of relief. He caught the excited grin that Mac shot up at him from several seats below, nodding in recognition.

Their happiness was dampened however when Herb Brooks appeared at the top of the rafters, giving a more stern rather than an inspiring speech. "Take a good look, gentlemen," came the booming voice that caused all 26 players to turn their heads in his direction. "Coz they're the ones getting off easy. We're putting some of you on reserve in case somebody gets injured or their game goes to hell. Final roster will have 20 names on it in 7 months, so more of you will be going home. You give 99 percent, you'll make my job very, very easy. I'll be your coach. I won't be your friend. If you need one of those, take it up with Doc or Coach Patrick here."

And just as soon as he appeared, Herb walked off, leaving a group of awestruck players staring after him in disbelief.

The players listened intently as Coach Patrick offered his congratulations, Doc nodding along with a small but proud smile on his lips. Chuckles rang out when they were told about having homework before they went out to celebrate, the happy mood returning once they were dismissed.

* * *

"_You could have gone out to celebrate, you know?"_

"I know," he sighed into the phone. "But I wanted to get this psychology test done before we have to go back tomorrow and I don't think being at a bar will help me do that. And besides," he said, his tone becoming teasing. "You told me to not let Verchota drag me anywhere."

Mike smiled to himself as he heard his sister's laugh over the line, proud that he was able to make her happy. It had been a tough couple of months for them and it seemed that she wasn't having much luck in her job search, so his good news seemed to come at the right time.

"_So I guess that you're stopping school regardless,"_ she mused. _"But hey! The Olympics,"_ she said more excitedly. _"That is so cool! How many other people can say that their little brother was an Olympian?"_

He wanted to make a sarcastic remark but he held off, letting her go on about how he needed to make sure to give it his all during training so Herb doesn't cut him from the team.

"_Oh!"_ she exclaimed, pulling his attention back. _"I forgot to tell you."_

"What is it?"

"_I got a call earlier and I need to know what you think."_

* * *

AN: I seem to have this affinity to making Verchota the guy everyone teases. I don't know why. I like him, I just have it in my head that he's the funny guy.

Please leave a review. I'd really like to know what everyone thinks of this so far. :)


	3. Meet the Team

Disclaimer: You know the drill.

AN: Thanks to _phoenixfire53_ for the review. I do hope you post your story soon. I would love to read a new Miracle fic. I'm excited after reading the summary on your page.

* * *

**_July 1979_**

"Johnson! That coast to coast stuff may work here but it won't against the teams we'll be playing."

"Okay," Mark Johnson quietly said, slightly embarrassed that he had expected some form of praise for his skating but ended up receiving a lecture. His ego was soothed a little though when Craig offered a few words of encouragement once he headed to the bench while another lineup got on the ice for the scrimmage.

"This is a breakout play gentlemen," Herb Brooks reminded the players. "So please, let's get rid of the puck early. Alright, let's go!"

As soon as the head coach shot the puck, the players began to run the play. Mac skated to center ice, calling for the pass. The puck hadn't even been on his stick, in fact, a pass was yet to be made, but he still ended up being checked hard, falling down to the ice in a heap.

The players sitting on the bench all stood on their feet at the sight of the cheap shot, leaning over the boards to get a better look at what was happening. Rammer had skated over to where Mac was, looking stunned at what had just happened.

"What the hell are you hitting like that for, man?" Verchota asked, coming to the defense of his teammate.

"That's bush league OC," John Harrington chimed in.

"Nice hit OC," Dave Silk called out from the bench, showing his support to his fellow Boston University alum.

"Tell your boy here to keep his head up, you won't have to worry about it," Jack O'Callahan said smugly, a smirk firmly planted on his lips.

That had Mac furious, pushing himself off the ice as fast as he could and throwing down a challenge which OC quickly met. The two began exchanging punches amidst cheers from the other players on the team. A few of the guys from Minnesota had skated over in an effort to break the fight up but ended up being held back by others. Even Craig had wanted to put a stop to it but was stopped from doing so by Herb himself. The head coach began to silently circle the two scuffling players, causing the assistant coach to shake his head in disbelief that he was actually allowing such behavior.

The fight didn't last for much longer, however, as OC landed a big punch, sending both him and Mac toppling to the floor. Several of the guys skated up to them and pulled them apart as Herb decided that it was finally time for him to speak up.

"Well how about it boys, look like hockey to you?" he asked in a biting tone. "Looks more like a couple of monkeys trying to hump a football to me. I don't know. What do you think Craig?"

The assistant coach wasn't quite sure what he was being asked but agreed nonetheless.

"You wanna settle old scores you're on the wrong team. We move forward starting right now. We start becoming a team right now!" Herb rattled off, hitting the ice with his stick to emphasize the weight of his words. He had everyone's attention then, none of the players even daring to make a sound. "Skating, passing, flow, creativity – that is what this team is all about, gentlemen, not old rivalries."

OC bowed his head, the message ringing loud and clear that any fights after that day would not be tolerated. And from the looks on the faces of the other players, they got the message just as clearly.

"So, why don't we start with some introductions?" Herb asked, his voice growing softer. "You know, get to know each other a little bit. Where you're from, who you are, go ahead."

Mac turned his head to see his coach looking straight at him, pausing to think whether he was actually serious about what he wanted them to do. But thinking that he didn't want to cause another round of trouble, he decided to do just as Herb asked. "Rob McClanahan. St. Paul, Minnesota," he stated. He looked momentarily confused when he was asked who he played for, having been a Gopher under Herb's coaching for the entirety of his college career. "For you, here at the U," he replied.

"Jack?"

"Jack O'Callahan," he replied evenly, his gaze directed at Mac. "Charlestown, Mass. Boston University."

"Over here."

"I'm Ralph Cox," the player replied, stammering for a bit, not expecting to be singled out. Not quite comfortable with the situation, he thought everyone needed something to lighten the mood. He quickly added, "I'm from wherever's not gonna get me hit," eliciting a few chuckles from some of the boys.

Herb seemed satisfied with the answer and called for everybody to head to the goal line to run a few drills. After several minutes, and noticing how Mac still hadn't stopped bleeding, he instructed the injured player to go back to the locker room to get checked out.

Mac was quite grateful for the reprieve, skating off the ice and making his way around the arena to find where Doc had disappeared to. He figured that the safest bet was the medical room that was connected to the locker room. But the person waiting inside wasn't the Latvian physician at all.

"Anna?"

The brunette looked up from the stack of files she was skimming over when she heard her name called, eyes going wide when she saw the state he was in. "Holy crap! What happened to you?"

"I got socked," he replied with a shrug. "Did Rammer tell you about a couple of the guys being from Boston?"

"Say no more," she said, holding a hand up, quite knowledgeable of the fierce rivalry between Boston University and the U. "Go on and take a seat. I'll just go grab the medical kit."

"So what are you doing here?" Mac asked as she walked over to a cabinet to fish for the first aid.

"Doc called me when you guys were in Colorado," Anna replied. "He said he asked Herb if it was possible to get an assistant because taking care of 26 hockey players throughout training was a lot of work for one man. And Herb apparently convinced the board to allow it. Just like that, here I am."

"That's great!" he said with a grin. "At least you don't have to worry about a job anymore. Did you tell Rammer to not say anything to us about it?"

"Not really," she shrugged. "I don't know why he didn't tell anyone. It's not really that big a deal. The job doesn't pay that much but the experience should be really great. I know I did this for the Gophers the last two years but doing it for the Olympic team just sounds that much better," she elaborated. "Anyway, tilt your head up. Let's see how much damage was done."

Mac sat quietly as she went about cleaning him up and checking the extent of his injuries, letting out a sigh of relief when she said how nothing was broken, and that all he got was a nasty cut and to expect bruising.

"I have to say though," Anna began to say as she stepped back to take a good look at him. "I'm quite disappointed in you."

"What? It's not my fault if he can't let go of something that happened years ago! I was just trying to defend myself," he exclaimed.

"And yet you're the only one in here," she interjected with a teasing smirk. "How come he's the only one that did some damage?"

Before Mac could even make a retort, the sound of laughter interrupted them, both of their heads snapping towards the door to find the topic of conversation looking quite amused at what he just heard.

"I think I like you," OC said, flashing a grin towards Anna. The smile dropped when his gaze fell on Mac. "The jury's still out on you."

"No fighting in this room," Anna said in her best authoritative tone. "I don't want any more bloodshed than what I can clean up with several cotton balls. Now what can I do for you?"

"Coach said to go and get checked out," he replied with a shrug. "But like you said, it seems like I was the only one that did damage."

Mac pressed his lips together in a firm line to keep from saying anything. For one thing, he didn't want to get into any more trouble that would get him singled out by Herb. For another, his face was really starting to hurt. But perhaps the biggest factor was that Anna was in the room, and if a fight broke out between him and OC, they'll be in even bigger trouble once Rammer gets wind of it.

"Nothing hurts then?" she asked, just in case.

"My left cheek does," OC confessed. "I think it's gonna bruise."

"I can give both of you salves to help with it," she said, moving back to the medical cabinet in search of the ointments. Finding two small tubes, she gave one to each player before sending them on their way. But before the two hockey players could leave the room, a third one had blocked their exit, causing Anna to raise her eyebrows in question. "Please don't tell me you got hurt because I will unleash a world of hurt on whoever's responsible."

Mac snickered as Rammer's face reddened even more than it was, knowing that the younger man felt embarrassed since OC was in the room.

"I'm fine," Rammer mumbled. "I just wanted to see if you wanted to stay back here or if you wanted to leave. The team will be coming in soon so you won't be able to leave for a while unless you wanted to get an eyeful," he explained. "It better not be that."

Anna laughed at the indignant look that crossed his features before replying. "I'll stay in here. Doc might need a hand in case there are more of you that complain of any aches and pains."

Just as she had finished talking, Doc had walked in and told all of them to make their way to the main part of the locker room. "Herb wants to introduce you to the rest of the team."

"That's a good idea," Mac mused, making his way out. "They won't be as surprised as I am when they find you in here instead of Doc."

OC looked on as Rammer walked up to the girl whose name he was yet to learn, figuring that he was going to find out who she was soon enough, and made his own way out with the last two occupants of the room following shortly thereafter. His curiosity was piqued to greater heights when several of the boys' faces lit up at the sight of her when they walked into the locker room.

"Gentlemen," Herb said, calling everyone's attention. "I'd like you to meet another member of the medical staff. She'll be Doc's assistant throughout training. Anything minor you go to her. She's still working her way through medical school so bigger issues still have to go through Doc. That'll be all for the day. Get cleaned up. I'll see you tomorrow."

No one said a word until several moments after the head coach had exited the room.

"Sometimes I think he actually doesn't know my name," she quipped. "I'm just the girl who helps Doc."

"I think he's gotten used to everyone knowing who you are that he doesn't find it necessary to actually say it," Mac said, throwing in his two cents.

"I feel like I'm having déjà vu," Verchota said, staring in her direction.

"You actually know what that means?" she teased.

"Now, I _know_ I really like you," OC interjected, smirking at how the girl had already ragged on two Minnesota guys, much like he would have done. The smug look fell however when he noticed how a few of the boys exchanged unreadable looks before shooting a glance his way, oblivious to the glare he was getting from a certain player.

"Mikey."

Mac started to snicker again, along with several other boys, when he heard the name.

"Stop calling me that," Rammer whined.

"I'm not calling you Rammer."

"Why not?" Baker asked, genuinely interested in the answer since everyone had called him that.

"You do realize that, technically, I could answer to that too?"

"Yeah," Mac started to say. "But he's Baby Rammer. You're more Pretty Rammer, or something like that."

"Is he flirting with me?"

"He better not be," Rammer said, his face going dark.

"Maybe OC knocked a few screws loose," Verchota chimed in. "But now you're all just being rude."

Seeing the lost expressions on the faces of over half the players, she quickly understood what he had meant. Putting a smile on her face, she turned to formally introduce herself. "Hey," she greeted. "I'm Anna Ramsey. Doc's assistant and Mikey's older sister."


	4. Intriguing Developments

AN: Thanks to _phoenixfire53 _and _hockeychick19_ for reviewing the previous chapter! :)

* * *

**_Early August 1979_**

"Do you wanna come out with us for dinner?"

Anna finished what she was doing before turning her gaze towards the door, a small smile finding its way to her lips at the hopeful look on her brother's face. Before she could reply, Mike Eruzione, whose wrist she had just finished wrapping, voiced his own invitation.

"You should come," he said with a smile. "Some of the boys would really like to get to know you better."

She bit the inside of her cheek when she caught the glare her brother was sending to the back of Rizzo's head. They all knew that it wasn't a come on, just a genuine invitation to get to know each other better, but Mike just couldn't help looking after her, regarding everyone with a watchful eye when it came to his older sister.

She had been working with the team for a couple of weeks but she had stuck mostly to the Minnesotans that she had come to know during college. It wasn't that she had no interest in getting to know the other members of the team but more along the lines of being too busy with other matters.

"I'd love to really," she began to say. "But I promised my dad that I'll be home early. Next time though, for sure."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that," Mike mused from his spot at the doorway. "I get him tomorrow, right?"

"Don't let him hear you say that or you're gonna get a whipping," Anna joked, smiling when Rizzo cocked his head sideways in curiosity. "It's our dad's birthday tomorrow," she explained. "He likes spending time with each of us. Since you have practice off tomorrow, it was decided that it was Mikey's day so mom and I split today instead."

"Greet your dad a happy birthday from the rest of the team, yeah?" Rizzo said. "And we'll hold you to that rain check on hanging out with us. I'll see you at dinner, Rammer."

Mike waited until his teammate disappeared into the main part of the locker room before speaking again. "They like you."

Anna shot him a disinterested look, having no idea what to say and dreading the thought that he'd take it out of context much like he'd been doing about everything any of the other guys said to her.

"What? They do," he argued. "Even Baker noticed it."

"Leave it alone, Mikey."

* * *

"Where's Rammer?" Buzz Schneider asked as he dealt a new hand of cards for the guys who decided to play poker with him.

After dinner, the team had scattered around the common room of the dormitory floor that they monopolized, some watching TV, others playing cards or board games and a few just talking. He had assumed that everyone was there until his gaze swept across the room, the absence of their youngest player quite noticeable. Voicing out his curiosity seemed to have a domino effect, with others asking themselves the same thing.

"He's in our room," Baker replied. "I think he called his dad."

"Or just Anna," Mac piped up from his spot on the couch.

"He's not really helping with the whole team unity thing, is he?" Verchota mused. "If he's just gonna tail her when she's around or lock himself up in his room when she's not, it's kinda moot."

"I actually think that's why Anna hasn't really hung out with us."

"Know something we don't, Bakes?" Mac asked, a knowing smile on his lips, causing the other guys to shoot a few curious glances towards the two Minnesotans.

The blonde rolled his eyes at his longtime teammate and gave no verbal response, choosing to keep his eyes focused on the TV instead.

"Mac can't get over the fact that Anna and Bakes are only friends," Verchota interjected, explaining what his two teammates were on about before focusing his attention on Mac. "Quit playing matchmaker you idiot, before she decides to pull an OC and sock you. If anything was supposed to happen with them, it would have happened long ago."

"Well, see now Philly, you just got everyone even more curious," Buzz pointed out. Having already graduated by the time the older Ramsey started helping out with the Gophers' hockey team, even he had to admit to wanting to know more about her and how she fit in with some of the boys on the team, especially with how her brother acted around her and the latest revelation of sorts about a would-be romance with one Bill Baker.

"We're just friends," Baker argued. "That's all we've ever been and all we'll ever be, and no, that wasn't me being bitter. We're just not into each other like that."

"And young as he is, you're scared of getting pummeled by Rammer, right?" Mac teased.

"What is up with that?" OC chimed in. "I swear every time someone comes within five feet of Anna, he's shooting a glare."

"He's just protective of her," Baker replied dismissively.

"I'll say," Mark Johnson muttered.

Several heads snapped in his direction, prompting a faint blush to tint his cheeks. Even after spending just a few short weeks together as a team, they were quick to learn that the Badger wasn't much for words, leaving them amused that even he decided to put his two cents in.

"Leave it alone," Baker said, throwing everyone a look in hopes that they'd drop it.

Some of the boys looked about ready to pry even further but none of their questions managed to leave their mouths as Mike appeared in the doorway.

"Davey, Brots, you've got a calls," he said, calling their attention. "I heard the ringing from my room and answered both. It's your dads."

The two hockey players passed questioning glances, shrugging before getting up to go to their respective rooms to take the calls.

"What's shaking, Rammer?" OC asked after a few moments.

"Waiting for Anna," came the simple reply.

"She's coming here?" several people asked.

"I thought she was spending time with your dad," Rizzo mused.

"Yeah," Mike said with a nod. "And apparently, dad told her to come here coz she was bringing me something. I don't know what though."

"Mikey!" they heard her call from the end of the hallway.

"That was fast," Mac snorted.

"They do live just ten minutes away from the U, you know?" Baker pointed out.

"Oh yeah."

"What you got?" Mike asked as his sister jogged her way over.

"Where's your room? I need to talk to you in private."

His brows furrowed in worry before wordlessly pushing his body off the doorway and walked towards her, putting a hand on the small of her back to guide her to his room. He was peering over her shoulder and trying to get a look at the envelope she was holding in her hand, but before he could ask what it was, a very happy Neal Broten came bounding out into the hallway and gave each Ramsey a huge hug.

"I just got drafted by the North Stars!"

"Dude!" Dave Christian called through the open doorway of his room. "I'm on the Winnipeg Jets!"

Mike looked at his sister with wide eyes, his hopes shooting through the roof when she grinned back at him.

"Is that a letter about the draft?" Neal asked, pointing to the envelope Anna was still clutching in her hand, already figuring out that the calls he and Davey had received were similar to the reason why the older Ramsey had paid a visit. "Dad said a letter came and that's how he found out."

"Open it," Davey urged.

Anna handed the letter over to her younger brother, her smile getting even bigger when she saw the excitement on his face after reading the return address as one for the NHL. She chuckled as he tore at the seal, leaning her head against Neal's shoulder and looping an arm through Davey's as they waited for Mike to finish reading his letter.

"I'm a Buffalo Sabre," he breathed out.

"Yeah buddy!"

Anna stepped to one side as the three hockey players gave each other those characteristic man hugs that barely lasted a second and ended with claps on the back. The three boys' cheering had attracted the attention of the guys in the common room, several people popping their heads out the door and eyeing the four out in the hallway with curious glances.

"We got drafted!" Neal announced happily. "You're looking at the future North Star, Jet and Sabre," he continued, pointing to himself, Davey and Mike respectively.

"That definitely calls for a celebration."

"We can just chill here."

"We'll go out and buy some beer and snacks."

"Right!"

"You're staying Anna, and that's final."

She didn't even have time to utter a protest as her brother grabbed her hand and pulled her into the common room, grinning widely as he ignored her pleas to let go.

"Mikey," she whined.

"Stay, please," he said, engulfing her in a hug. "We can go home tomorrow. Mom and Dad will understand. Please."

"Yeah, Anna," Mac interrupted, moving forward and trying his best to circle the brother and sister in his own arms. "Hang out with us."

She threw her head back in laughter when her brother got an incredulous expression on his face before pushing the older player away. "Alright, I'll stay."

* * *

"You okay?"

She lifted her head from the back of the couch, eyes squinting at the light shining behind Baker's head. "I'm good," she said tiredly. "Just a little tipsy and a whole lot of tired."

"Wanna head to bed?" the blonde asked. "Rammer's sharing a room with me. He doesn't look like he's done partying yet so you can have his bed for a while before he stumbles in."

Their heads turned to look at Mike, both smiling as they watched him enjoy goofing off with some of the guys. He and Mac had stuck close to each other, talking excitedly about the fact that they could both be headed for the same team in the NHL once the Olympics were over, going as far as making plans to live with each other when they get signed.

"Come on," he urged, tugging at her arm. "You can borrow some of my clothes to sleep in. Your brother's will just drown you."

Anna saw the question in Mike's eyes as she stood up, hoping that her sleepy smile conveyed what it was that she was up to. The single nod of his head and turning of his focus back to the laughing group of guys around him told her that he did. As she walked out of the room, she was left oblivious to the looks sent her way.

She followed Baker to their room wordlessly, murmuring a thank you when he handed her one of his old jerseys and a pair of boxer shorts to change into.

"You going back to the party?" she asked just before he closed the door to give her some privacy. He raised his eyebrows in response to her question. "I was hoping you'd stay and we could talk for a bit. I'm not really that sleepy yet. I'm just not a party person."

"Go ahead and change," he said with a smile. "I'll be right outside the door so just call me when you're done."

* * *

"Where'd Bakes go?"

"He's with Anna," Mike replied absentmindedly. "They're in our room. She was sleepy."

"He's been gone for a while," Dave Silk muttered under his breath. "Is he sure sleeping is all they're doing?"

"Shut up," OC whispered back hotly. "Do you want Rammer to beat us up if he hears you talk about his sister like that?"

"Coz that's the only reason you want him to shut up, huh Jack?" Jim Craig mused, smirking at his teammate. "I think Anna's the only one oblivious to the looks you've been sending her way. Try and make it seem like you're not ready to eat her like she was a piece of steak and maybe Rammer won't hit you."

"She's with Baker anyway," OC grumbled, causing the guys around him to chuckle.

"Come on, Jack," Rizzo said in a sympathetic tone. "He said nothing's going on and that they're just good friends. Maybe he stayed back to talk to her before she fell asleep or maybe he was tired and decided to go to bed too."

"I don't know," Silky interjected. "Two good looking people locked inside a room after a few drinks," he trailed off.

"You're not helping," Jimmy said with a roll of his eyes. "Look Jack, if you like her, that's fine. But make sure that if you do decide to pursue her that you'll use your head –"

"The right head."

The three Boston boys turned blank stares on Silky, not amused by his interruption.

"As I was saying," Jimmy continued. "Use your head or you might end up with a couple of guys out to tear you limb from limb. We may not know exactly what's up with Rammer and Baker but it's obvious that they'd do anything for Anna."


End file.
